Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-10-14


sitting. ! went up to the bed Mrs
Ralncr was lying with cloth over her
face, | snatchcd it off 1t WAS stccpcd
in something which aftcrward learned
was chlOroform. Thank Heaven. she
was alivc.-for she was breathing
! heavily. | rushed 10 the two windows
and flung them wide open. pulled the
! bell-ropc until the house echoed, and
moved her arms up and down. Tie
cook and Jane came in, terribly
alarmed, in their night-gowns. left
them with Mrs. Rayner, while l ran
downstairs for some brandy.
There was some on the side-bOard in
the dining-room, l knew; and l was
returning with it when | caught
sight OF n man in the gloom at the end
Of the passage leading from the hall.
He had come from Mr.. Rayner's study
and disappeared in moment in the
darkness. 1t was impossible to recOg-
nize him. but could not doubt that it
was Mr.. Rayner.
Where was he going? Was he going
to escape by the back way? Did he
know the house was watched? made
a step forward. anxious to warn him,
but he had already disappeared, and l
dared not follow him.
crept upstairs, too much agitated to
be of any use any longer; but happily
Mrs. Rayner was already recovering,
and the brandy restored her entirely
to consciousness. With cooks assist
ance Sarah was persuaded to return to
her room, where Mrs. Saunders was
found in q drunken stupor AS cook
refused 10 watch there during the re-
mainder of the night, the best we
could do was to lock the door, Hap
PLY no harm came of this, ana after
ward Mrs. Saunders managed to keep
pretty sober. This woman having
been sent by Mr.. Rayncr, assumed
| about the same authority that Sarah
had exercised in the house, and sug-
gested that Mrs. Rayncr remove to her
old room in the left wing. The poor
lady came herself to my room to tell
me of this.
"Why do you 60 back if you don't
wish to do so, Mrs. Rayner?' | asked.
II expect it is by Mr.. Rayner's or
ders," she whispered.
And, my strong suspicion that he was
in the house acting like spell upon
me, l said no more.
But l was curious to know what was
the mystery that hung about that bed
room in the left wing which no one
was allowed to enter but MIR. Rayner
and Sarah; and l resolved that, as soon
as could would try to induce Mrs.
Rayner to let me go in there.
AS l lay thinking of the strange and
horrible events which had occurred l
could not believe that Mr.. Rayner was
all bad. How could man who was so
kind have no redeeming qualities? And
|, who had never received any thing
but kindness at his hands, had brought
this calamity and pursuit upon him.
| A possible means of communicating
with him occurred to me. In spite of
the doctors prohibition, I sprung out
of bed, got my desk, and wrote note
asking his forgiveness. and giving him
a full explanation of the way in which,
in all innocence, had written the let
ter which had led to this pursuit of
him. told him the house was being
watched, and was to be searched be-
fore long, and begged that, when he
had got away, be would find some
means of letting me know he was in
safety. II do pray for you every night
and morning. can't forget all your
kindness to me, whatever you have
done, and I don't wish to do So" l
added as last thought in P. S.
And then put On my dressing gown,
and, when l heard nobody about.
slipped down by the back staircase to
his study, where l put the note, direct
ed simply to &c. Rayner, ESQ.," just
inside the drawer of his writing-table
and crept guilty upstairs again.
THAT day Sarah was removed to the
county lunatic asylum and never saw
the poor creature afterward. At four
o'clock in the afternoon insisted upon
getting up and being dressed. WANT
ed to see Mrs. Rayner to learn if she
had heard of Sarah's departure. l
heard she had gone to her old room in
the left wing, and, having taken the
precaution to wrap q shawl round me
before entering that long, cold pass
age. passed through the heavy swing
door. the very sight of which l hated.
l was opposite to the store-room
door when it was softly opened, and,
without being able to make any resist
ance, l was drawn inside by mans
arm. l looked up. expecting to see
Mr.. Rayner, and was horror-sticken to
find myself in the arms of Gordon. the
man who had shot me.
"Don't tremble So" said he. IL
meant to do for you before l left this
house; but this has saved you" And
he showed me my letter to Mr. Rayner.
"Do you know where he isp" Iasked,
eagerly.
"No, ma'am," said he. in his re-
spectful servants manner; ''but
should say that he is on his way to
America by now. where he meant to
have taken you"
"MeP American"
Eyes, ma Fam. Miss Haidee was ia
have been left at Liverpool street sta
ton, and brought back to the Alders. -
"But l wouldn't have gone"
Il beg your pardon. ma am. but
don't think your will would have stood
out against James's-Mr. Rayncr's.
And, if this letter had not shown you to
be loyal to him, l would not have left
you here alive. Imay take this opportu-
nifty of apologizing for having once
borrowed trinket Of yours while you
were staying at Denham Court. But,
as it was one which l myself had had
the pleasure of assisting Mr.. Rayner to
procure from Lord Dalston's, thought
it wisest to pull off the little plate at
the back, for fear of its being recog-
nized by Mr.. Carruthcrs, in whose
service l was when was first intro
:. duced to Lord Dalston's seat in Derby.
shire"
place and the little iigi: :h0re had been
all day was fading fast, for it was five
o'clock. But, as l stepped forward
further into the room, drew my
breath fast in horror. For became
aware of a smell of damp and decay;
felt that the boards of the floor under
the carpet were rotten and yielding to
my feet, and saw that the paper was
peeling off the wet and moldy walls,
and that the water was slowly trick.
ling down them.
"Oh, Mrs. Rayner." cried, aghast,
sis this your room-where you sleepP''
II have slept in it for three years, "
said she. IF my husband had had his
will, II would have been my tomb"
CHAPTER xxx.
The heartless cruelty of Mr.. Rayner
in allowing his poor submissive wife to
live in room such rs he would moi